Envy of the Uchiha
by KyoSenpai01
Summary: Rei has known Sasuke Uchiha ever since she can remember. After seeing her clan be destroyed, Sasuke couldn't help but meet eye to eye with her, so he took her in. Rei is 100% loyal team taka, but carries a more intense set of feelings for Sasuke. When Rei begins to unintentionally uncover her past, Sasuke makes a decision that changes everything. [Sorry;-; summary sucks]
1. Chapter 1

"Again!"

"I can't do it again! Let's just take a short break!"

"No! Right now!"

"Stop it! It's just training, it's not supposed to kill us! I'm going to sit down! I need a break!"

"Fine. If you won't come for me, I'll just go after you myself!"

"What?! Sasuke, stop!" I brace myself for a round of his attacks. We've been out here training for hours, doing the same thing over and over, and it's worn me to my limits. I don't have enough chakra or energy to defend myself. All I can do is stand and watch and try to shield my most vital spots. I don't know what's driven Sasuke this mad, but I really don't think it's fair of him to take it out on me.

He runs after me at top speed, so fast I can hardly see his movements. He's visible enough for me to notice that he's taken out a kunai. Is he really going to slash at me with it? Is this going to be the place where I die? My nerves are wracked and I'm frozen in place, watching as Sasuke approaches me. I haven't even caught my breath from the last round of this.

He's been having me perform the same series of attacks on him over and over, and when we began, I was okay with it since the jutsu doesn't use much chakra, but doing it over and over and over again on end like this, for this long? I can't do it; it's impossible!

Sasuke charges at me, holding his kunai at shoulder level. I watch him come closer, and in a split second, before I even have time to grab out a kunai and attempt to fend off his attack, he's face to face with me, looking into my eyes with his sharingan eyes. He holds the kunai to my neck, and it pierces just my first layer of skin, making a small scratch on my neck. The air rushes past us a second after he's reached me, and he's silent. My heart pounds, and I wait for his next move. Is he going to kill me? It'd be easy enough, just dig in a bit deeper with that kunai of his and sever my artery. I'd bleed out in just a few moments. Dead. My tired eyes stare right back into his scarlet eyes. What could he be thinking?

"So, that's it?" He asks. "That's all you've got?" I don't answer him, just stand, waiting for these events to play out so I can go and take a seat. Or until he kills me. "Do you know how easily I could kill you right now? With this kunai to your neck, just a few layers of skin separating the delicate membrane of your artery and this razor sharp kunai? Just a bit more pressure..." He presses into my skin a bit harder with his weapon, and I wince. "... and just a slight drag of this across your skin- say, maybe just pull it a millimeter- and there goes your life." He's silent for a moment, apparently waiting for a response from me. He doesn't get one. He chuckles. "What's wrong, Rei? Are you mad at me? Tired?"

"Sasuke-san, please stop," I plead. "Just take a break."

"Do you want to die?" Sasuke asks, and I can hear the edge in his voice. It's scary, because I know that he has the guts to kill me if I push his buttons. "I'm the one who gives the orders here. I'll take a break when I want to, not when you tell me to." He bears down on me, and I slowly drop to my knees, whimpering like a child. Tears of distress and fear well up in my eyes and run down my cheeks. He bends down so that he stays face to face with me, and he uses his kunai to tilt my chin up. "Are you seriously crying? I thought you knew better than that, Rei. Looks like I was wrong."

"You're wrong a lot, Sasuke," I reply, gritting my teeth. His eyebrows stress, and I feel his hand on my shoulder, gripping me tightly. He pushes down further on me and applies more pressure to the kunai on my neck. Now I've made him angry.

"Do I need to teach you your place? I'm the one holding the cards right now. I have the power, so you'd better learn your place, and fast, or something... unfortunate may happen... I mean, I don't want any accidents happening or anything, especially to you." He tilts my head up even further with the kunai, using the point. He smirks at me, his face hardly three inches from mine. "You're special to me, but I'll still kill you if you make me." I glare into his eyes, then snort a laugh.

"I'm special to you?" I ask, a half hearted smile on my lips. He smiles back, obviously sarcastically.

"That's right," he replies. "I don't have to explain our history, do I? You couldn't have so easily forgotten. Or must I enlighten you?"

"Try me," I reply, the smile still on my face. Of course I remember our history. He took me in, looked after me. I usually end up receiving complaints from him, about people he hates, all his complications in his everyday life, all that good stuff. He doesn't talk much, and it's tricky to get him with a good joke. I've been around long enough to understand though. Because he always made me listen to his stupid rants, I got to know him far better than anyone else. He even listens to me sometimes. He hardly ever replies, but he listens. I think he's grown quite find of me.

I stare into his eyes, waiting to see if he'll really repeat our history, take that trip down memory lane. His eyes burn into mine with a never ending stare, his sharingan still ever-present, and he's gotten intensely quiet. Even his stare seems silent. It feels so cold... so lonely... I don't like it. Even so, I mirror his seemingly empty stare. I almost forget how close we are, being almost nose to nose. Suddenly, he shatters the silence of his stare with a smirk, and I'm dragged back into reality, out of my contemplation.

"Take a break," he says. "I wasn't being serious." I feel the pressure of his hand seizing my shoulder lift, and the sting of the point of his kunai is gone. In a moment, we are no longer mere inches from each other, his body heat that radiated onto my own body now gone. If he hadn't been so brutal in his threat to kill me, I might've enjoyed it a bit.

I mean, come on. Despite his sour attitude and all his other "Sasuke" flaws, he's extremely attractive. He stands a few inches taller than me, a full assortment of muscles adorning his body, his perfect features and beautiful raven hair. Considering he's three years my senior, I guess he is a bit short, but that really doesn't matter. Even his cocky attitude is hot sometimes, but when he's just having a huge ego, it's really unattractive. I might tell him that, but he doesn't care how "attractive" people find him. He already has enough fangirls as is.

I examine him as he walks to the other side of the giant sun filled room. He stands for a bit, checking some things, then sits and begins sharpening his sword. I slowly get up, touching the cuts given me by the kunai. I'm not sure if he meant that he wasn't being serious, but if he did, he plays rough. A little too rough, in my opinion, but of course senpai is always right. I walk over to a bench near the wall and sit, wiping away some sweat with a towel, dabbing my cut, drinking down some water. I let down my hair and fix the ponytail I previously had in it. As I tend to myself, I decide to pour some water on the towel to better cool myself, and as I do, I feel Sasuke's eyes on me. I don't pay attention at first, but after a second it becomes uncomfortable and unbearable, so I glance up at him. He doesn't turn away his gaze, and I just look back down at first, focusing on my towel, but I notice he hasn't stopped staring, so I look up again. He meets my gaze, leaning over his sword.

"Yes, senpai?" I ask, knowing he has something to say. He's silent for a bit longer, then replies.

"We can continue training tomorrow," he says to my relief. "I'm going to my room for now. Meet me there in a few minutes, when you're ready." With that, he gets up and simply walks away. I'm surprised by his order, as he never lets anyone in his room. But I do as he commands and decide to first change out of these clothes. I walk to my room, which Sasuke intentionally placed right next to his, and strip off my sweaty clothes. Until I can get my normal everyday attire cleaned, I throw on a simple black t-shirt and black capris. I'm not sure why, but all the clothes Sasuke provided for me are black except my normal wear. Even most of my normal clothes are black, all but my shirt. I've never gotten any of my own stuff. Sasuke never let me. He always went out and got it himself, then gave it to me.

Because of that, it's caused envy among some of Sasuke's team members with me; specifically speaking, Karin. The way she glares at me from across the room underneath those glasses... it's all too obvious, with me strutting around in all black, singling me out as a symbol of Sasuke's special care, and Karin's indifferent attitude towards me. It actually amuses me some, to see Karin being such a sucker for Sasuke and so envious because he singles me out and gives me "special treatment". Sasuke sees it too, and he seems to like the way it amuses me. But either way, it's not like he takes me out to fancy restaurants to eat and buys me all kinds of goodies. He just gets my basic needs while he lets the others take care of their own things. Also, if anyone were to receive special treatment from Sasuke, it ought to be me considering how much more I do for him compared to all the others. While they are just part of his team and are pretty much only nuisances to him when they aren't needed, I am always by his side. I'm something between a servant and a friend. He's not exactly my senpai, but the first time I called him "sensei" he immediately objected, so from then on I called him "senpai". I finish my contemplations as I walk out of my room and knock on Sasuke's door.


	2. Chapter 2

"Senpai?" I call into Sasuke's room. "I'm ready." Wait, what am I ready for? I guess I'm "ready" to enter his room.

"Come in," he calls, and from the sound of it, he's only a few meters away. I push in the door softly and slowly walk in. He stands in front of a huge, reflective plate on the wall and his desk, sitting right in front of the plate. It almost looks like a chest with an attached mirror. He has a few things on his desk, and he leans on the desk, watching me. I stand at a distance respectfully, awaiting his next command. "Close the door," he says, and I do so. I turn to face him again, and he gestures with his hand for me to come to him, and I step forward, feeling a bit awkward in the unnatural setting.

I try not to keep looking around and what furniture he's placed within these rock walls, but they continuously draw my gaze, my curiosity getting the best of me. I approach him, holding my respectful posture. I stand a few feet away from him, as to not get in his personal space, and he seems to get a bit irritated.

"Stop being so hostile," he says. "You're acting as if I'm going to give you a virus." I'm kind of surprised by his statement, but do as he says, a bit relieved to be able to give up the stance of respect. I come a bit closer to him, looking at what he's placed on the desk, leaning over a bit. I see a small tube of something, and some tiny sheets of paper. Before I can read the label of the tube or the print on the papers, Sasuke places one hand on my shoulder and turns me. Startled by this, I become stiff. "Just... let me turn you. Okay?" He says it kind of forcefully, and I can feel from him that he's becoming irritated. "Why are you being so stiff and tense? Just relax a little." I catch a glimpse of his face, his eyebrows stressed with concentration, his black eyes fixated on my neck, his lips pressed together, his head tilted slightly downwards. He turns me so that my back is to him, and it makes me a bit uncomfortable. This is so strange, being touched by Sasuke in a... _normal_ way. He's usually so indifferent, wanting to keep all contact with other human beings at a minimum. The only times we've actually made contact were mostly during training, but there's no compassion or warmness behind those touches; only a drive to beat the other person. "I told you to relax," Sasuke says, feeling my tension radiating off my body.

"Sorry," I say quietly and try to calm my nerves. This is just not right. This isn't like Sasuke, to get personal with someone, to be in their personal space in a non-threatening way. Actually, now that I think about it, his hands are very gentle and soft on my shoulders. Although they're strong and steady, they feel oddly comforting on me. It gives me a warm feeling, and my mind goes back for a split second to when Sasuke and I first encountered each other. He consolidated me in my time of pain... that comfort I felt when his hand held mine for that split second as he pulled me onto my feet, it was like none other, and I was trapped in that feeling of floating happiness... I shake the memory and focus on the impending situation.

Sasuke pulls away from me, and I can't see what he's doing in my current position. I suppress the urge to turn around and look at all he's doing. I feel him directly behind me a moment later, and he tilts my head to the side. I allow him to do all he's doing, and I feel something wet touch my neck, right on the cut Sasuke had given me not too long ago when he threatened to take my life. I flinch and am about to move away but Sasuke places his other hand on my shoulder firmly so I don't move.

"Don't move," he says, and I comply. Then, I feel the wetness again, a sticky, mushy kind of wetness, and it grosses me out. It kind of stings on my cut, but it's nothing I can't handle. Now I feel it; the tip of Sasuke's finger, dabbing some kind of cream or something on my cut. No, no, this can't be. He's far too cold for that. Right? Well, he did once have compassion for someone, for multiple people; his family. But that's gone now...

"Um, senpai?" I ask quietly. I have to be sure that this is what I think it is.

"What is it?" He replies, just as quietly as me.

"Uh... what are you doing?" There's a short moment of silence, then he answers.

"I'm treating your wound," he answers me, and my heart skips a beat. So it's true! But why? Why is he doing this? "Why?" He asks me.

"Oh... no reason..." I say, not wanting to answer. He might not like it, and I'm right in his clutches right now.

"Listen," he says as he finishes dabbing my wound. He turns me around to face him, grasping my arms. I look up at him, my eyes wide with surprise. "Dont lie to me. You don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I know you're wondering why I'm treating your cut. It must be strange for you. But please, stop acting as if I'm going to suddenly kill you. It's irritating." With that, he turns me back around, and I'm full of shock. Oh god, he already knew my thoughts. I can't get away with anything. He gets something off the desk and continues talking to me. "Rei... do you remember when we first met?

"Uh.. of course, senpai," I reply.

"Do you know why I took you in?" He asks, and my mind is blanked. I never did know why he took me under his wing, and I never bothered to question why either.

"No," I say in full honesty. Better he explains than for me to try to answer a question I don't know.

"I looked at you," he explains, "so much smaller than me, so pathetic and weak... and I saw myself, just for a moment. You'd lost everything and watched it go up in the smoke. Especially... when you begged for your life..." He pauses for a moment, and I feel something soft touch my cut. It wasn't paper on the desk; it was small cuts of bandage. "But in your eyes, I saw a reflection of myself, and I knew you'd become as strong as me. So I took you in to train you, to provide for you, not for you to provide for me. That is why I gave you your name. Rei; 'companion'. You see, you seem to forget that I chose you, not as a servant, not as someone below me, but as someone who'd stand beside me. As my companion. Someone I could trust with my life, and you've become that. That is why you're special to me. But you constantly forget your place. You act like a servant to me, when your place is beside me. So stop putting yourself at my feet." I feel him place the tape on a rolled up cut of bandage, finishing his treating of my wound. He turns me around and looks into my eyes, holding my arms again, but more softly. I stare back into his eyes, not knowing how to react to this.

"Sasuke..." I whisper, and he cuts me off.

"You're my companion, but you still treat me with respect," he says, and I blush in embarrassment, smiling. Well, I guess I still can't call him by his name. Oh well.

"Sorry, senpai," I say, and I see the slightest of smirks appear on the corner of his lips. Then, he turns me back around. "Oh- senpai, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to treat your other wound," Sasuke says, and I'm confused.

"But... I don't have any other-" I begin to say, but am cut off by a sharp sting on the back of my neck. "Ow! What was that?" I slap my hand over where I felt the pain and turn around to see Sasuke with a half smile, holding a kunai with just the tiniest inkling of red on the tip. With my mouth agape, I take my hand off my neck and look at my hand, stained bright red with my blood, still warm and so thin, running down my hand like water. I feel more blood trickle down my neck, and Sasuke makes me turn back around.

"Yes you do," he says. "You have this cut right on the back of your neck. You didn't notice?" I don't reply, unable to wrap my head around this. What is he doing? Why is he doing this? Then, a smile slowly spreads across my face. Sasuke... he wants me to stay in his presence, so he's finding a reason for me to stay. "While you're here, I should treat all of your wounds, including the one..." I feel another sharp sting on my back, about midway up, towards my right side. "This one, on your back. For that, you'll have to remove your shirt."

{Haha I know I stopped right when the action started happening(x I don't want to post all parts of the story at once because I've been writing this one for a while so I have other chapters already done, but I'll put up the next part tomorrow maybe. Thanks for reading! And I'm not going to do little notes like this all the time._. Sorry cx thanks again:3}


	3. Chapter 3

My blood turns to ice in my veins as what Sasuke said sinks in. Did he just ask me to take off my shirt? My heart begins beating faster in my chest. This can't be the same Sasuke. Has he taken on a new personality? Turned a new leaf? Either way, this isn't the same Sasuke who'd threatened me no more than an hour ago. I feel another sharp sting on the inside of my left thigh, and I gasp. My hand instinctively goes to the cut, and I cover it, hissing in pain. It's only a momentary pain, but still, pain, nonetheless.

"Don't touch your cuts," Sasuke says casually. "They might get infected. Now, are you going to take your shirt off, or will I have to do it for you?" I immediately turn around to face Sasuke. I can't believe what's happening now, and I look into his eyes to see if he's serious.

"Senpai, what are you-"

"Shh," he cuts me off, putting a finger to my lips. "Turn back around." He puts his hands on my shoulders as he turns my back to him once again. Then, I feel his fingers go to the bottom of my shirt, slowly lifting up my shirt. My heart rate speeds up, and I'm afraid that if I stop him, he might turn his wrath on me. Maybe if I try he'll listen.

"Wait, senpai," I say, my breaths getting shorter, but he doesn't stop.

"Rei," he says. "I'm only treating your wounds." Okay, that isn't going to work. I guess... I just have to let him do this... "Raise your arms," he says as he pulls my shirt up even further. I do as he commands, and actually find myself enjoying this a bit. Does this mean that he'll become affectionate towards me? Will he treat me like more than a friend or companion? Like... his girlfriend? I've always longed for Sasuke's love and affection. He may be cold and closed off, but ever since he took me in, I'd developed love for him, and deep inside I've always wanted him to mirror my feelings for him.

He pulls my shirt all the way off, placing it on his desk. I feel the blood from my neck trickle down my back, and it feels hot. The blood from the cut on my back also runs down, as hot and thin as the blood from the cut on my neck. I feel Sasuke's finger on my back, getting up the blood.

"Hm... I'm going to need something more than my fingers to get up this blood," Sasuke says thoughtfully. "A napkin would be useful, but there are none. I guess I'll just... get it myself."

"What?" I ask, confused. What does he mean? Then, I feel him lean over, one soft hand on my bare shoulder, the other caressing my side. I feel his breath on my back, between my shoulder blades, and my heart skips a beat. "Wait, senpai! I'll just get a napkin!" I try, but it's too late. His tongue is on my skin, wet and warm, dragging upwards toward the cut on my neck. It feels good, and I exhale heavily, getting goosebumps all over. He works his way up to the wound, putting his lips gently around the cut. His lips are so soft and warm, and it simply relaxes me. I feel him suck softly on the wound, and I hiss in pain. "Ow, senpai that hurts," I complain.

"Sorry," he whispers, "just getting the blood."

"Why are you doing this?" I whisper just as quietly as him.

"What do you mean?" He asks, putting his lips to my ear. "I'm only treating your wounds. You keep getting the wrong idea." His lips go back to my wound, then he works his way down between my shoulder blades, his lips softly pecking my skin.

"My wound isn't all the way over there," I say, still enjoying the sensation he's giving me.

"I'm getting the blood," he says simply, going no further with it. Then, his lips part from my skin. He applies ointment to the cut on my neck, bandaging it like he did the other. He moves to the slash on my midback, treating it as he did the others. After he's finished, he pulls out the chair from underneath his desk. He turns me around so I'm facing him, looking me in the eye the whole time, and I feel his fingers at the base of my capris, on my waist. Suddenly, I jerk back, laughing, then apologize with a smile on my face.

"Sorry, senpai," I say quietly, looking down. "I'm ticklish." I look up at him, trying to make my smile not so obvious. He has a smirk on his face. He doesn't say anything though, just continues with his doings. This time, instead of simply reaching for my pants, he puts his hands around my waist and pulls me closer, and I instinctively place my hands on his chest. I gasp at the sudden closeness of mine and Sasuke's bodies, and realize where I've placed my hands. I stare at them with wide eyes, and slowly begin to remove them, but Sasuke stops me.

"It's fine," he says. "You need to hold on for balance." I feel my cheeks burn as he speaks these words. Gosh, he's so chill about this, like he's done it a million times. And the way he just makes up excuses for everything, and without delay either... he's so strange. I feel his fingers around my waist work their way down, underneath the fabric of my capris. My heart begins pounding as he continues, my excitement and nervousness growing, and I can't get the question out of my mind; how far does he plan on taking this? His hands work down my legs, taking my pants with them, and he leans down as his hands extend further down. Soon, we are face to face, his forehead resting on mine, nose to nose, our eyes wide open. I feel something unexpected that really throws me off and surprises me; Sasuke's heart rate is off the charts right now, and I easily feel it underneath his black shirt. His chest is exposed anyways, our bare skin making contact. His breathing soon catches up with his heart, and his breaths become short and heavy.

As he pulls my pants down to my ankles, kneeling down in front of me so that I stand above him, he wraps his arms around my legs and lifts me up, then pushes me back so that I sit on the chair he pulled out. I scoot back in the chair and he pulls my capris all the way off, throwing them to the side, keeping his eyes on me. He eyes the cut he put on my thigh, a couple of thin streams of blood flowing from it, and he comes closer to me. His hands go once again around my waist, pulling me closer to the edge of his seat, and he brings his face to my bare legs. I feel his hot breath run across my thighs, giving me goosebumps again, and his lips touch down near my cut. He plants a soft kiss on my leg, trailing a row of kisses towards my cut. His lips follow the line of blood, and when he finds the end of the line, his tongue touches my skin once again. He licks both lines of blood, and I place my hands on his head, running my fingers through his hair. He softly kisses my thigh, moving upwards slowly, when he abruptly stops. His lips are still on my skin, his hands around my waist, but he sits there, his heart still beating rapidly, his breathing still heavy.

"Leave me," he whispers suddenly. "Go. Now!" He gets up so quickly that I can't even follow his movements.

"Senpai?" I begin, but he doesn't let me finish.

"Take your clothes, and leave," he says quietly. "Before I make you." With that, I get up, fear stricken, and I get my shirt and capris, avoiding Sasuke's gaze, leaving directly to my room. I don't even put on my clothes before I go. I just make a beeline for the door, closing it on my way out. I go directly into my room, closing my door, and I sit on my bed, trying to make sense of all this. Is Sasuke attracted to me? Does he want more than a companionship? Or did that simply mean nothing?

After fifteen minutes of contemplation, I become paranoid and can't stay in my stuffy room, the walls coming in closer, the air becoming less with every breath I draw. I get up and throw on another set of capris and a t-shirt, and I walk out bare foot. I head for the main room, where Jugo, Karin, and Suigetsu lounge. As soon as I walk in, Karin decides to stir trouble.

"Hey, Rei," she says. "What were you doing in Sasuke's room?" As soon as she says this, Jugo and Suigetsu turn their attention towards me, but I keep walking, not even looking at Karin. She gets upset by this, and before I can leave, she gets up and blocks my path. "Hey! Don't be so rude. I asked you a question."

"Karin," I say quietly, "get out of my way." She crosses her arms, distributing her weight onto one leg, glaring at me from underneath her glasses.

"Why?" She asks. "What, you don't want to answer me? I'm just asking why you were in Sasuke's room when he hasn't even let me in there yet."

"Nobody likes you, Karin," I say blandly. "So why would anyone invite you into their room?" Her face grows red with anger.

"Sasuke likes me!" She says, raising her voice. "He just is a little shy! Anyways, you still haven't answered me. What were you doing in there for such a long time?"

"Just shut up! Why are you constantly spying on Sasuke senpai anyways?"

"And why did you leave his room holding your clothes in your arms?" This stops me in my tracks, and my heart skips a beat. What did she just say? It takes me a while to process her words, and in my moment of silence, my face growing hot with embarrassment, Karin slowly smiles. Suigetsu says something to one of us, but I don't hear what he says, my thoughts clouding my mind and blocking out all other activities.

"I... I went into his room because he told me to! Gosh, Karin, you're so nosy!"

"Why did he want you in there, huh? So you two could get frisky?"

"You know what?"

"What?" Karin keeps that stupid smirk on her face, and it makes me so mad I could just kill her. But I don't. I just stand in silence for a while, staring at her beady little eyes. Then, I speak up one last time.

"Maybe if you weren't so annoying and kept your nose in your own business instead of in everyone else's, you'd have been in that room instead of me." Then, I walk away. Karin is such a stupid, annoying little pig! Gosh, I wish Sasuke would just get rid of her! Karin yells something and Suigetsu begins shooting words at her, but I hear none of the context. Then, I feel Karin turn towards me, a bit too quickly. I turn around to her just in time to see a shuriken coming my way, but before it can penetrate my flesh, I sandwich it between my palms, stopping it in its tracks. Good thing Sasuke's taught me to be quick.

I throw down the shuriken and continue my way towards the exit, and Karin lets out a shriek of anger. I smirk to myself as I walk out of the doorway into a dark corridor, and it feels as if I'm walking away from a giant explosion. Like a boss. I wish Karin would explode, though. Oh well. I guess I can't have my cake and eat it, too. At least Jugo and Suigetsu are okay. Suigetsu can be pretty funny sometimes, and I enjoy seeing Karin get so mad because of him. Perhaps the way I enjoy seeing Suigetsu amused by Karin's anger is the way Sasuke likes seeing me be amused by the same thing.


	4. Chapter 4

My angry thoughts of Karin darken my mind as I walk out of the darkness of the hideout, a burst of sunshine pouring upon me. I squint my eyes as they adjust, not faltering my steps. Even though I can't see very well because my eyes are still adjusting, I know this place by heart. I blindly take a few steps, then leap off the stone ledge when I know my feet are at the edge. As I fall, my eyesight is restored to me, and I grab out a kunai. I hit the ground, then run into the thickness of the trees. As I pass the first tree, I slash a line into it, then another, creating an arrow in the direction I'm going. Just in case, if anyone wants to find me, I'll make it easy on them. I wouldn't do it if Karin couldn't already find me by sensing my chakra.

I continue running, slashing sloppy arrows into trees every so often until I reach my destination. I come to a stop where the trees end, looking out at the marvelous view of the land. The sun is just beginning to set, and it casts a pale red and orange tinge across the horizon. I've been here many times before, always when I want to just get away for a while, when I need time to think by myself. When I need a break from Sasuke's sadism. Well, I mean he's not sadistic... at least, I don't think so. He just acts so deranged sometimes. Sometimes I think how messed up this is... I lose my friends and family to fall in love with and be taken in by a boy driven mad by his thirst for revenge. Yet, it seems so normal to me, it feels so right. I honestly like things like this. I can't say I'd prefer it over having my friends and family and living a normal life, but the way it is now isn't bad.

I find my way to the rock near the edge I always sit on, the natural shape of the rock fitting my body so perfectly, it's as if it were made for me to sit in. I curl up along the curves of the large rock, getting comfortable and watching the sunset. My rage at Karin still festers in me, but is subdued by my immediate surroundings. I sigh deeply in the serenity of the setting, this moment being more beautiful than any other I've ever experienced, the sky slowly turning creamy shades of red and violet, the colors blending into each other. Salmon pink splashes the belly of the wispy clouds, and the first stars are just becoming visible underneath the soft pastels of the sky, creating the ultimate picturesque view.

I love coming here. Every time I come to this spot, especially at dusk, it feels almost as if I'm in a dream, or at least visiting the place of my dreams. When Sasuke first took me in, some parts of the forest seemed familiar, and I finally figured it out that my father and I would go through that particular part of the forest to get to this cliff. It's actually a hill, but the way down from where I sit is so steep that it's almost like a cliff, and since I couldn't tell the difference when I was younger, I just called it "the cliff". I begin to reminisce about the first time my father brought me here. I know he called me Pumpkin, but I don't remember why, or my name before Sasuke found me.

I contemplate, watching the sun set for a while, when suddenly my attention is brought to something of reality. I hear a faint rustling noise somewhere behind me. I don't turn around, as not to bring unnecessary attention or danger to myself, but I listen closely. I don't know who is watching me, but I don't like the thought. Then I hear something unexpected; whispering. It sounds kind of far away, and I realize that there's no one watching me. I'm so paranoid right now. Still, I decide to see what's going on.

I get up from my seat and walk into the thickness of the trees, a few crimson rays of sunlight shining through. It gets notably darker as I wander deeper into the woods, the whispering voices getting closer. It feels so eerie, but then so familiar at the same time. My stomach stirs with excitement and nervousness, and I eventually find a path. I don't walk on the path, but stay right beside it, letting the trees keep me hidden from any potential predators. Suddenly, it hits me. This is the path to the place of my birth! It wasn't exactly a village, just a small collection of houses that belonged to my clan. More like a villa.

I haven't been to the site since it was destroyed with fire, my friends and family being taken also in the flames. But... since it's been destroyed, who could be there? My curiosity and inquisition rage in me, and I grow anxious in finding out who these people are, who the voices I heard came from.

After walking for some time, nearing the voices, I see a soft glow protruding from behind some trees, and the voices are more distinguished. Now it's becoming clearer; sounds of a family- no, multiple families. They must be having a bonfire. There are children, laughing and running, their shadows blotting out the light from the fire here and there. I hear women and men laughing, talking about whatever fills their daily lives. They sound so... happy. I wonder... what makes them so happy? Is it because they are a family? What does a family even look like? What do they do? I move even closer, now feeling the urge to capture the image of these gleeful people. I need to see why they are happy. I need to see what a family looks like. I need to see.

I finally come close enough to see the group gathered around the fire. I make sure to stay in the shadows while I watch; no matter how happy and innocent these people seem, I need to stay hidden until I know exactly how dangerous they are. I watch for a while when they all go silent. My heart skips a beat. Did I give away my position? I stay still and wait for something to happen. Suddenly, all their heads turn towards me. Oh, God no. How did they find me? Did they even find me? It could be something or someone else they're looking at, after all. Still, I doubt it.

There's a light crunching noise behind me, the sound of twigs and dried leaves being stepped on by tiny feet. I turn my head back, and there's a little girl standing quite close to me. In my squatting position, she and I are about eye to eye. We stare at each other for a while, neither of us moving, each examining the one set before them. She's a very cute little girl, her deep brown hair let down in soft flips to just below shoulder length, wide, bright chocolate eyes staring into mine, her rosy cheeks still curved with baby fat; she can't be any older than five years old. Still, when she reaches out her hand to me, I pull out a kunai and hold it close to me, as a warning to ward off her wandering hand. Her hand drops back to her side, but her curious expression remains the same, sparks still going off in her eyes as bright as ever with inquisition and amazement.

"Who are you, little girl?" I ask quietly. Her slightly chapped lips do not part, and she simply blinks at me. "Are your parents over there?" I nod in the direction of the bonfire, turning the tip of the kunai I arm myself with in the same direction. Her head tilts slightly to the side, silky ribbons of hair falling off her shoulder. Her lips part as she is about to answer, but another voice speaks instead, from behind me.

"Kyo, there you are," a deep male voice calls out. So, that must be the name of this little girl. As soon as his voice echos out into the thickening darkness, the girl's head turns quickly towards the direction his voice came from. She stares in that direction a while, the brightness from the bonfire reflected onto her wide, round eyes. "Come over," the male calls out again. "We've been waiting for you." Wait, what? Why would they all be waiting on this little girl? It's not like she's old enough to just be wandering around anywhere and to waited upon by adults three five or six times her age.

"Yeah, Kyo," a soft female voice calls, and for a second my heart pounds in my chest. Her voice... it's so soothing, and although her voice is foreign to me, it sounds so familiar. "Come on. Take a short break; you've been playing ninja all day. Eat something. Spend some time with your family." While I think about this all in my head, how strange this all seems to me, the little girl takes my hand. I haven't noticed until her tiny, soft fingers curl around mine and she's tugging on my hand.

"Oh, what?" I mumble, not knowing whether or not I should go. "No, no, little girl. I can't go. You go, be with your family." She tugs on my hand still, and I figure that I have no choice but to follow along. I let her drag me over to the place where her supposed family sits around the bonfire, and she finally lets my hand go. Some of the adults around the fire mumble something, like "it's about time" or "took you long enough", but the vibe the words give off aren't negative at all. Each of those that complained have a sincere smile on their face, and it honestly melts my heart.

After dropping my hand, the little girl goes and sits between a stocky, dark haired man and a beautiful woman, who I assume are her parents. I examine the man and the woman as I stand before these people, and I just know something here is odd; I've got this feeling in my gut that I've seen each of these people before, yet I can't recognize any one of them. The woman the little girl sat next to seems especially familiar to me, and my stomach won't stop stirring. The one thing that is the most peculiar to me, however, is is how the man and woman completely ignore the little girl; instead, their eyes remain on me. I'm about to turn and leave when the man speaks up again.

"Why are you just standing there, Kyo?" He asks, and I furrow my brow. Is he talking to me? "Come on, Pumpkin. We've been waiting for you so we can all eat together. He chuckles alongside the woman, and my heart begins pounding.

"Wha- me?" I ask, pointing a finger at myself, and light laughter surrounds the bonfire.

"Yes, you, silly," the woman answers in return, a beaming smile on her face. "You are Kyo, after all, aren't you honey?" Honey? Kyo? Could these people be...

"Enough playing around, Pumpkin," the man says, smiling. "I'm starving." The woman jabs the man with her elbow.

"Hey, you know she hates that nickname," she complains.

"No, honey," he says, looking to the woman. "She loves it. Don't you, Pumpkin?" The woman sends the man a glare with her eyes, but the playful smile on her face fails to recede. They both start laughing, then turn their heads back to me. When the woman looks to me, although she still smiles, her eyebrows crinkle in worry.

"Honey?" She asks. "Are you okay?" Her tone of voice changes, and her husband also changes his demeanor.

"Pumpkin? What's the matter?" He asks, and they both get up. My heart races in my chest, and my hands begin slightly shaking.

"Mom?" I finally croak out, my words stuck in my throat. "Dad?" The two send each other confused glances before replying to my strange inquiry.

"Yes, honey," the woman says. "Mom, and Dad, just as we've always been."

"Pumpkin, are you alright?" My father asks, and he begins coming closer to me, his wife alongside him. But... they're dead. My parents are dead. How can they be here now? This doesn't make any sense. And, if I'm their child, then... who is that little girl?

Before any questions can be answered, there's a loud, booming noise echoing from further in where the houses are. This stops my parents in their tracks, and everyone surrounding the fire turns towards where the sound came from. Murmurs questioning what the sound was and if everyone heard it fill the air, mingled with worried expressions. My father then walks over to me.

"Pumpkin, stay here," he says. "I'm going to go see what that was." I want to turn my eyes to my father, but I can't; my vision is fixed on a silhouette I see in the distance. "Pumpkin? Rei? Can you hear me?" Wait. Did he just call me Rei? Didn't he just say my name is Kyo? My father gently grabs my arm, but my eyes remain focused on the silhouette. "Rei? Rei! Can you hear me? Hey! Rei! Snap out of it! Wake..."

"Up! Rei!" My eyes snap open to a very impatient Sasuke, who is now rocking me by my shoulders.

"Senpai?" I drawl out, my head hazy, and he stops rocking my shoulders, still leaning over me. "Wha- what are you doing here?" I ask, yawning at the same time, my hand subconsciously moving to cover my mouth. He stands up straight, looking over the cliff. Hm, what has caught this man's interest?

"Get up. It's time to return to the hideout," he says almost robotically. Well, it might have sounded a bit robotic if his voice wasn't so Godlike. "Hurry up. I'm ready to go back." He doesn't look at me, just keeps his eyes fixed on whatever he's staring at in the distance. I stretch, then get up and look over the cliff to see what's caught his attention. We stand in silence for a few seconds. "I'm not really staring at anything," he says, and I jump. How does he read my mind so easily?! "It's just... beautiful." This almost causes me to fall over. Did he just say... beautiful? I turn towards him, bewilderment dripping from my face.

"Senpai? Uh..." I'm not sure exactly what I want to say to him. Should I ask if he's okay? But... wouldn't that be kind of offensive? As I debate about what I should say to him, he speaks.

"Nothing," he says stiffly, then turns and walks away. Still confused, I turn and stumble as I try to catch up with him and keep up with his pace. He eventually slowly his pace, to my relief, until we walk at a leisurely pace. The air is cool and crisp, and the trees fill the air with a unique aroma. It's dark, but the moon shines down enough light for us to be able to have no trouble finding our way back. As I look around, the memories of my dream suddenly come back to me, and I automatically tense up. Of course, Sasuke immediately senses it. "What?" He asks.

"Oh, nothing, just..." I pause as I try to gather my words. Would he not like it if I asked about that? But he might get angry if I don't tell him at all. "What's my real name?" I ask, deciding not to beat around the bush. Even though he doesn't react, I know and can tell that Sasuke is surprised by this sudden question. As usual, he doesn't answer right away, and I patiently and quietly wait for him to answer.

"What makes you ask such a thing?" He asks, and I fiddle with my thumbs.

"Just... well, I can't really explain-"

"Try." I feel a bit childish, telling him that I saw my parents in a dream and they called me by a certain name, but I do as he tells me.

"I had a dream, and in it... I saw my parents. It was very strange. But... they called me by a different name," I explain. Sasuke is silent for a while, then gives his signature "hn". He might as well have rolled his eyes or scoffed at me, and I feel ridiculous. "They called me Kyo," I try, feeling as if I should say something to defend myself, although it really isn't a defense. Suddenly, Sasuke stops walking, and I almost bump into him. He turns around to me and stares into my eyes.

"Your name was Kyo," he says after a long moment of silence. "But, it isn't anymore. Your name is Rei. Your real name. Do you understand?" This catches me off guard, and it startles me. Why is Sasuke acting so strange all of a sudden? Ever since earlier today, he's been acting so strange...

"Senpai, wha-"

"Understand?" He demands, and I feel he's about to get worked up.

"Uh... Yes, senpai," I say, surrendering. Well... one last try. "But-" Before I even have all the words thought out on my head, Sasuke turns on his sharingan, giving me one last warning, and I know better than to keep going. He shoots daggers at me through his stare, and I purse my lips, looking down. After a long moment of silence, he turns around.

"Lets head back," he says finally and begins walking, me following at his heels. I don't understand Sasuke... Why does he act this way? Why is he being so strange? I only wanted to know about my past...

Hello! I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I've been extremely busy... And my mom stole my tablet. Stole, took it away; same difference. It may be a few weeks before the next chapter, but I will be writing! Thanks for reading! And sorry if there are some minor grammatical errors...


	5. Chapter 5

{I know I said it'd probably be a few weeks until the next chapter was out, but I've been writing quite often. I guess I'm just ready to move on with the story? I'm honestly just winging this haha... I mean, I know in which direction I want the story to go, but with most of the story, I'm just winging it. But I hope you enjoy this. I'm getting really engaged in the story, and I am for some reason excited about chapter 6. Anyhow. Enough of my ramblings.}

It's been three days since the day I had that dream. Three days since the incident with Sasuke. I'm not sure if he was just off that day or something, because since then, he hasn't been acting strange really except for a couple minor things; he's been watching me more closely, even to the point where he checks on me in my room before I fall asleep. He's even come into my room for a few seconds while he thought I was asleep and I assumed it was just to check on me. Also, he's been easier on me than ever during training. He even stops just to ask if I need a break. He knows I'm surprised by this sudden change, but he hasn't yet explained it to me. I want to approach him about it, but since he hasn't said anything there's probably a reason. Still, the suspense is killer. I plan on approaching him about it today, and it shouldn't be too hard to do so if he's going to be as close to me as he has been these past three days.

I lie in my bed, staring up at the ceiling as I meditate on this. I try to imagine a scenario in which I approach him and ask him the right question with the right words, because God knows I always say things wrong when I try to ask Sasuke something like this. What am I to say? "Senpai, are you sick or something? You've been acting very strange the past three days and it's scaring me." A smile creeps onto my face as this thought enters my mind. Maybe I should say that, just to see how he reacts.

My contemplations are interrupted by a knock on my door. Before I can answer the knock, the door opens, and (surprise) Sasuke stands there, leaning on the door frame. I sit up immediately. So now he's checking on me in the mornings? Ah, Sasuke. You never cease to amaze me.

"Yes, senpai?" I ask, knowing it's only appropriate and expected of me to be attentive and ready to do whatever needs doing.

"Rei, get up and eat, then meet me in the training room," Sasuke says flatly, then leaves without even waiting for my response.

"Yes, oh wise master," I mumble to myself, sarcastically bowing towards the door. "I am at your every need, oh glorious king. Thank you for this command, oh honorable one." When I lift my head back up and see Sasuke standing at the door again, I fall backwards off my bed, half out of surprise, half just to hide myself from that piercing stare. I peer under the bed to see his feet, then I hear him give his signature "hn", his feet padding away. I frown, lying on the floor for a bit longer. He sure does know how to make me feel like a fool.

After a while, I get up and do as he'd told me, putting on a fresh pair of black shorts, socks, and a black t-shirt. I tie my hair up in a ponytail, then walk out to eat. As soon as I walk into the lounging area, a mouthwatering aroma fills my nostrils that makes my stomach growl. It smells like... the forbidden food! I get excited and have to see if this is true, that the forbidden food lie awaiting me. I see Karin still eating on the couch, but she has sushi. Jugo and Suigetsu aren't eating at the moment, so there's no way I can know for sure that the aroma I smell is the forbidden food until I see for myself. Karin glares at me as I make my way behind the couch to a table that sits low, and on it is what confirms my suspicions; ramen.

I admire the bowl with chopsticks on the side in a state of disbelief. See, a few years ago when Sasuke had taken me into a small village for this mission he was doing, he decided to let me get my own lunch. I was only 9 years old, but he'd said that I should start learning to do some things on my own, so he gave me money and told me to get some rice and seaweed for the both of us. I left as he continued doing whatever he was doing, and on my way, a man in a booth stopped me. He asked if I was hungry and if I'd like some ramen; he must've seen the change I was carrying. Sasuke had never told me about ramen, so I told the man I didn't know what ramen was. Of course, he gasped and nearly fell back and had a heart attack, and I was in such a state of oblivion. The man, after recovering from his near death, offered me a small sample, and wanting to clear this mystery, I obliged. I stepped forward, and the smell that burst upon me I swore was from the Gods. My mouth watered, and I became more eager to try this "ramen". The man fished some noodles out of a pot from behind the counter with chopsticks and handed them to me. Without delay, I slurped up the noodles, and right away I fell in love.

The man was selling the ramen for a low price, and I sat down and ate through three bowls before Sasuke showed up. I was finishing the last of the third bowl and getting ready to spend the rest of the money on a fourth when Sasuke intervened. He was livid.

"Rei," he'd said behind my back, before I was aware of his presence. It took everything in me to swallow down what was in my mouth before I choked on it. I slammed the bowl down in surprise and didn't turn around, afraid to face Sasuke's wrath.

"Y-yes, senpai..?" I replied quietly.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, but before I could answer, he grabbed me by the arm and dragged me away, even leaving the money on the counter. The rest of the mission was spent in silence, but as soon as we got back to the hideout, he unleashed the beast on me. I swear, he was so loud he shook the walls. He yelled questions at me, like what I thought I was doing there, why I didn't follow simple instructions, if I knew what that "garbage" was, how much of it I had eaten, and the such. Of course, me being in my own little world, I knew Sasuke had to be confused. What garbage? Does he mean ramen? And I asked him those exact words. The silence that followed was lethal. Then, of course, the silence was broken by even angrier and louder shouts, and after a series of threats and punishments from him, and after very much pleading from me, he settled on a punishment; nothing to eat but *shudder* tomatoes for a month, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And I were to never eat ramen again. Although after that, I didn't even want to say the word itself.

Even so, I had acquired an unquenchable thirst for the food from the Gods called "ramen". I thought I'd never even see another ramen noodle in my life. Well, at least, not while Sasuke was still around. It had therefore gained the nickname, the "forbidden food". Yet, here it is now, laid out before me, steaming and everything, and it can't have been from anyone but Sasuke, and there's no way it's for anyone but me. This is my ramen. My food gold.

I grab the bowl and the chopsticks without waiting another second, scarfing down the bowl. I try to eat slower so I can savor the taste, but it's impossible; this tastes even better than it did those many years ago. When I'm about halfway done with the bowl, I hear Sasuke's voice behind me and nearly choke. I guess I still have a guilty conscience about ramen.

"How do you know that wasn't mine?" Sasuke asks, getting straight to the point. I almost laugh out loud.

"You?" I ask in disbelief, slurping down some more noodles. "As if you'd eat this 'garbage'." Of course, being the stoic man he is, Sasuke doesn't smile or respond, but I swear I feel something positive discharge itself from Sasuke at the recognition of the term he'd once used for this food from heaven. I continue eating, not wanting to waste even a single moment with my ramen. Sasuke walks away, and it makes me almost worry. He's never done something like that. If he were to approach me, it would never be for something as meaningless as that. He doesn't take part in idle chatter.

As a matter of fact, why did he even get me ramen? I was too caught up in the moment to even think about it. Something big must be happening. But... what could ever move Sasuke to do things against his nature? He's a strong willed man. Nothing could bend him. As I savor the last of my ramen, I try to think about what could've happened or what will happen that's making Sasuke act this way, but I'm left with nothing. I head to the training room. Now, I have to confront him about this. It's getting too strange. It's just not right.

I walk into the training room, bright sunlight blinding me. After my eyes adjust, I scope out Sasuke, all the way on the other side of the room sharpening his sword, and my mind replays our incident that happened three days ago. He'd sharpened his sword then, too. Did he even use it in the three days since then? I don't even think he needs to sharpen it. Yet still, the image of Sasuke sitting, quietly sharpening his sword, it just seems right. That seems to be the only thing "right" around here, these days.

Sasuke sees me coming and puts his sword back in its sheath. Should I ask him now? I should probably get it over with... I tell myself that I'm going to ask him right now, but as I come closer to him, I find myself becoming nervous. I should calm down or he's going to read my mind like he always does and make me say what's bothering me. Sasuke stands up, and I somehow manage to force the thought out of my mind so that I can calm my nerves.

"Enjoy the ramen?" He asks with a bored expression. Obviously, he doesn't actually care if I enjoyed the ramen or not, and I find myself amused by how annoyed he seems with my love for ramen.

"Yes, very much," I reply happily. "Thank you, senpai." I almost sing the words, and Sasuke looks like just the words make him sick.

"That's the last time I get you that garbage," he says, looking away from me. "You're just like Naruto, that dobe." He begins mumbling about "how does a ninja live on that trash" and how "Naruto is a lame excuse for a shinobi", and the such. I begin thinking about all Sasuke's told me about Naruto. He told me about everyone in the village, those he knew before he left. Sasuke always gets set off by Naruto, and how he makes it seem is as if he hates Naruto more than Itachi. Come to think of it, he never even said why he hates Naruto so much. I know all about what Itachi did, and why Sasuke wants to kill him, but all I know about Naruto is that he pisses Sasuke off.

"Senpai," I say almost subconsciously, saying what comes into mind, "why do you hate Naruto so much?" Sasuke immediately stops mumbling and looks at me. He stares at me for a while, but it's not out of anger; rather, it seems he's trying to gather his words. Still, his stare kind of scares me.

"Don't worry about that blonde dobe," Sasuke says finally. What? Don't worry? Sasuke just keeps saying things that surprise me. "Let's begin." I decide to go no further with it and walk into the center of the room, Sasuke right behind me. He usually leads the way, but since the three days started, he's been following me instead. We begin training, starting with taijutsu as normal. It gets intense pretty quickly, quicker than usual, and I feel like Sasuke is angry. He pulls out his kunai, so I do the same, the room filled with the sound of our kunais clashing. Suddenly, Sasuke charges at me, and before I can move out of the way, he body slams me. I yelp in surprise, the impact making me fly back. Woah, he hasn't been this hard on me in a while. I guess I expected him to be soft on me like how he's been for the past three days.

My body skids on the floor, then rolls a few times before coming to a stop, and I groan in pain. I need to get in shape. I expect Sasuke to begin drilling me about getting up as soon as I'm down so that the enemy can't take advantage of that situation, but instead, he rushes to me and kneels next to my body. I begin sitting up, bewildered. What is Sasuke doing?

"Oh," Sasuke says quietly, "are you okay?" That's the last straw.

"Senpai?" I ask, my puzzlement clear on my face. "What's going on with you? You've been acting so strange these past three days. I don't understand. I know you see how confused I am, but you're not saying anything." I feel a negative air lift from Sasuke, and he looks to the floor. "Senpai...?"

"Rei, I'm going on a mission tonight," he says. "And... It'll take a week at least. I've been planning it for a few days." He pauses, and I wait quietly for him to finish. "I'm going to kill Itachi." He looks back up from the floor, examining my face, probably trying to read my mind like always. My face remains the same. I mean, I understand it's his whole life's work to kill Itachi, but is it really relevant right now?

"Okay, but what's the mission?" I ask.

"I just said," Sasuke replies. What is he talking about? He didn't finish saying about the mission. He looks at me expectantly, and I stare at him, bewildered. Is he joking right now? "I'm going to kill Itachi."

"I know you're going to kill Itachi, senpai," I say, "but why won't you tell me the mission?"

"I did." I tilt my head to the side, stress my eyebrows. He seems to be absolutely patient with me, and I can't tell if he's just trying to mess with me. What is he talking about..? All he said was that he was going to kill Itachi... He didn't...

Suddenly, somewhere in my brain it registers that Sasuke's mission is to kill Itachi. It seems to show on my face that I now understand.

"But..." I can't seem to find my words. It feels like I have a million questions, but only that came out. After all this time he's going to finally kill Itachi? But... what is to happen after that? What happens to team hebi? The whole goal of this team was to ultimately kill Itachi... Will the team be disposed of? Will they be turned loose? What will happen to me? Will Sasuke want to get rid of me?

"Rei, listen," Sasuke says, and the tone in his voice worries me. Is that... _fear_ I hear in his voice? It can't be. "Itachi is no joke. I'm risking my life, fighting him. I'm strong, but Itachi could be stronger. It's possible that Itachi might... kill me instead. Now may not be the best time for me, but at this moment, it's now or never. I have to kill Itachi, and if I can't do that, then I really don't have purpose in life. I'd be a waste, and I can't allow that; I'd rather be _dead_." What? Did Sasuke really just say he'd prefer being dead over being a waste? He would never say that he'd rather be dead over anything. Yet, here he is, saying this. "The mission shouldn't take more than a month. If I'm not back in that time, then know I'm dead."

"Wait, if you're not back?" I ask, shocked. "No, I'm going with you on this mission."

"No you aren't," Sasuke replies blandly. "You're waiting here for me."

"No, I'm coming with you."

"Rei, stop acting like a child. You're staying here."

"Senpai-!"

"No!" Sasuke yells, pounding the floor once as if to set the statement. "You're staying here! Now stop insisting!" I jump and am shaken by the words. Sasuke just admitted that he might die on this mission, and I have to stay here, not knowing if he's alive or not... I look down at the floor in defeat, a bitter sadness trying to swallow me whole. I want to cry, but I know I shouldn't. "Rei... I just can't risk having you out there. I don't know what's going to happen out there while fighting Itachi, and if you were to die..." Sasuke lets the sentence trail off, and I feel struck by these words. He's saying that... he cares about me. He has feelings regarding my wellbeing. Could he possibly even, I dare say, _love_ me? God forbid Sasuke Uchiha ever fall in love... It's hard to remember sometimes that, no matter how eaten up by revenge Sasuke is, he's still a normal human being. "I couldn't stand to lose you, especially to Itachi. He's already killed all my family, all _our_ family. If he killed you, too, it would be too much." A silence fills the room, and it's so intense it almost hurts my ears to hear it. Does Sasuke love me? What does he mean, "too much"? Too much grief? Would he grieve over me? I almost ask him, but I'm sure that it would not bring about pleasant results, an awkward moment with no answer at the very least.

"Senpai... but after you kill Itachi, what will happen to team hebi? What comes afterwards?" I ask him this, but I really want to know what will happen to me in particular.

"I have plans for afterwards, of course," Sasuke says. "Killing Itachi is not my only goal."

"But, the team?" I ask. What about me, I mean to ask.

"They aren't needed for what comes after this mission," Sasuke explains. "I'll just turn them loose."

"Oh, what? Then... what's your goal for after this?" I ask. What is he going to do that doesn't require his team? He's always talked about killing Itachi, but never what happens afterwards.

"My clan... I'm going to restore it," he says.

What? Is he saying that _he _is actually going to... make a _family_? I almost laugh out loud. Of course, Sasuke could have any girl he wanted. He'd have no problem getting one into his bed. But...

"You mean... You're going to make a _family_?" I ask. I don't mean to offend him or anything, but there really is no way around it. It's absurd to think of Sasuke as being a family man or a father. It just doesn't fit him. But he isn't offended; rather he seems amused.

"Don't worry about my plans," he says, getting up from the floor. I look at the floor beneath me, deep in thought about this. Who would Sasuke ever choose to be the mother of his children? Would he love her? Treat her with compassion? I'd like to mother his children... I'd be jealous of any other woman who'd fill that position. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I feel like I deserve to have that position more than anyone else. "Let's go," Sasuke says, but the words don't process. From the corner of my eye I see Sasuke's hand come down, and I flinch, my body tensing up.

I look up at Sasuke, then the words process, and I realize that he was extending his hand for me to take. For some reason, in my mind, I subconsciously assumed that he was going to bring his hand down on me, to punish me for something I'd done. It's a childish way for me to act, and I feel immediately ashamed. I take his hand, and he just holds it there for a while. I look at his face, at his eyes, and he locks eyes with me. He looks... hurt? In his eyes is something I've never seen in them, something sad. I can't quite put my finger on it.

I wait patiently for Sasuke to pull me up, and within a second, I feel him pull on my arm. I help him, pulling myself up a bit, then suddenly my body is thrown forward into his. He almost dislocated my arm, pulling me with such a force, and it was so effortless, too. I gasp, and before I know what's happened, my body is on his, his arms around me, my face burrowed in the side of his neck. I leave my arms limp at my sides, not knowing how to react to this. He nuzzles his face against my own, moving so that his lips are to my ear, and it startles me. His warmth engulfs me, his embrace strong yet soft, and I feel the need to stand is no longer apparent. I feel myself getting dizzy, and I move my arms upwards so that they're sandwiched between mine and his chests, balling my hands into fists in an effort to grasp his shirt before I fall. But I don't fall; Sasuke holds onto me tighter, and I feel almost as if I'm floating.

"Rei, why do you not trust me?" Sasuke whispers in my ear, but the words hardly get through to me. All I can think about is this heavy warmth saturating my body. Was Sasuke always this warm? Why does this heat seem so excessive now? It's so much, but it feels really nice... "The reason I've been doing all I have been the past few days is because... if I were to die, I didn't want you to just know me as a man that only knows hate and anger. I don't feel those towards you." He pauses, exhaling softly, his warm breath on my neck giving me goosebumps. "It's not easy for me to be this way, even if it's only to you. But I still did it, and even after that, you don't trust me?"

"I do," I mumble quietly. All this talking is nonsense. I just want to feel this warmth forever.

"No," Sasuke whispers. "You don't trust me; you fear me."

"I don't fear you," I whisper so quietly I can hardly hear myself, "I love you."

"Speak up, Rei."

"Hm?" I hear Sasuke chuckle and I smile, my eyes closed. Gosh, who'd have known Sasuke gives such amazing hugs? I feel him shift, and I know he's about to let go. "No," I mumble, holding onto him tighter.

"Hn. Let's go," Sasuke says, and I frown at the "hn". "I have to get ready to leave for the mission tonight. I'm taking team hebi with me." Sasuke lets go and in a way peels me off of him, then we leave the training room.

"So, senpai..." I say as we leave. "Are you really going to start a family?" Even though I can't see his face, I know Sasuke smirks, and I smile, walking as closely as possible to him to catch any warmth that might possibly be trailing behind him.


	6. Chapter 6

(A/N: so... now I present to you the long awaited *drum roll please* CHAPTER SIX! My sincerest apologies to those few who have waited such a long time for this. I made it long and juicy for you =w= I honestly did not expect it to take this long. It can only explained in what I call a series of unfortunate events. I love that movie, by the way. First, my internet was off because a certain someone refused to pay it. Then, I got so stuck on this one part, I honestly had not a single idea as to how I could move on from that portion. See, my sister is also writing a fanfic because we both are totally obsessed with the Naruto fandom. In her story, Tobi is actually in love with Sasuke, and the feelings are mutual between those two. There came a moment when she had to backtrack because she accidentally made Sasuke the uncle of Tobi... Nonetheless, we had a good laugh over it, and that's when I decided to put Tobi in my story. It wasn't going to be official, but I found it very useful to build off of, so I grasped the opportunity to get out of my rut.

(I also get sidetracked very easily. I have the attention span of a goldfish. I would be writing, then think of a word I wrote which reminded me of something totally irrelevant, and three hours later I'm watching an anime. And that's how life screws you over. Anyhow.

(One more thing. Okay, so you see, my OCs often times reflect my own personality and mood and such, and one part I was writing after I had gotten that post-midnight feeling. You know, that feeling you get when you've stayed up until the sun is rising again and everything is hilarious and you're absolutely out of it? Well... yeah, it kind of went downhill from there. So it gets a bit crazy. Just a fare warning. Enjoy!)

I lie on my bed staring up at the ceiling, thinking. Sasuke's about to leave with team hebi; I'm going to be completely alone for at least a week. I try not to think about Sasuke or how much I hate being alone, but it keeps coming to mind. I distract myself with the thought of that ramen I had earlier today. I smile to myself, my mouth watering at the thought of the salty taste of the ramen. I don't think that I'll be able to resist it anymore, and luckily I'll be able to get just as much ramen as I want while Sasuke's... gone.

There it goes again. It can't be helped. My life revolves around Sasuke. Every aspect of my life has something to do with him. I don't know how I'm going to survive alone. I'll probably go mad. It's not just the fact that Sasuke's going to be gone for an extended period of time that's bothering me; if Suigetsu and Jugo were here, I'd be fine. I don't care about Karin. It's just the fact that I'm going to be completely alone. I already feel like I've been alone and lost for at least a few months. I feel like no one's ever going to find me...

My thoughts are intercepted by a knock on my door. I sit up and it opens, and there stands Sasuke, much like what happened this morning.

"Senpai," I greet, nodding my head towards him.

"Come," he says. "We're leaving now."

"I'm seeing you off?" I ask, tilting my head slightly to the side. Sasuke doesn't answer for a second as he seems to consider this.

"Yes," he replies. I get up and follow Sasuke out of my room, into the lounging area. I expect him to stop, but he keeps going towards the exit. I silently follow as team hebi falls into step behind me. Soon, we all stand at the stone ledge. Team hebi and Sasuke stand with their backs to the edge of the stone ledge, facing me. Suigetsu winks at me with a mischievous smile on his face, and I narrow my eyes, smiling in return. Jugo has the same calm expression as always, and Karin has the same glare as always. I sneer at her, but before I can see her reaction, Sasuke begins talking. "Rei," he says, "we will be seeing you again shortly. Until then."

"Bye, Rei," Suigetsu sing songs, waving at me. I give him a half smile, waving back before he, Jugo, and Karin turn their backs to me.

"Let's go," Sasuke says, still facing me. They all disappear then, all except Sasuke. I don't do anything out of the ordinary although this puzzles me. Oh well. Sasuke has his reasons. I guess I'll just have to see how this plays out. I look at him expectantly, and he simply looks at me for a few seconds. Then, he holds out his hand to me, palm facing upwards. He wants me to take his hand. So I do. I slowly extend my arm out, delicately placing my hand in his so that our palms meet. His fingers wrap around my hand firmly and I mirror his movements, now gently gripping his hand. He looks into my eyes, speaking silent words to me, and I feel he's giving an unspoken promise that he will come back, he'll be back alive and Itachi dead.

There's poison in his eyes, channeling into my body through his touch and his unbreakable connection to me through words and promises, not given by lips nor made known to anyone besides us, but words and promises made prevalent to only us through the depths of those black eyes. But this poison... It doesn't make me weary, nor does it make me afraid. Rather, it empowers me; it's giving me strength, and Sasuke is fully aware of this. The poison dealt by his venomous bite doesn't work against me, but with me. I am of Sasuke.

"It will be done quickly?" I ask.

"Without delay," Sasuke answers. "When the time is right." I want to speak against this, make him take it back. 'What if?' I want to ask. 'What if the time isn't right? What if it never will be?' I hesitate, though, and it's made obvious to Sasuke. "Don't say anything," Sasuke orders, and I look down in shame, breaking the connection. Within a second, though, I must fill the empty void made by the loss of the connection, so I look back into Sasuke's eyes. He's in my thoughts. He allows me to break away because he knows he can easily get back into my head.

"When the time is right, it will be done," Sasuke says one last time, then pulls me closer to him, filling the physical gap between us. When I stand three inches away from him, he lets my hand go. Then, his hands go to the sides of my face, tilting my head upwards. My reaction is kept within my head, although the pounding of my heart can't be kept hidden. I stare at Sasuke with wide eyes as he looks down on me, no longer allowing me to understand his current state of mind. He leans down to where I can no longer clearly see his face, then I feel a soft heat brush my forehead, undoubtedly his breath. Plush, hot lips touch down on my forehead, and a warmness begins to stir in my gut. I've never had this feeling, and I don't know what it is, but in a way I like it.

His lips part from my forehead as he removes his hands from my face.

Then, he's gone.

I stand, not moving for a while. It seems as if the events that just happened haven't, and they won't register in my mind. Then, suddenly, it registers, and I feel as if I've been robbed of something great, something that I never even had. I'm left feeling cold, empty, and I immediately retreat into the hideout, seeking something other than the coldness that haunts me. I quickly make my way past the lounging area and into my room, straight onto my bed. I curl up in a fetal position, knees tucked into my chest, trying to draw up my body warmth, yet although I lay there for a while, I still can't rid myself of the icy feeling penetrating me. Eventually I persuade myself to move and work myself under my sheets. They're cold at first, but I know that in due time they'll warm up with my body heat, so I cocoon myself in the sheets and curl up even tighter, waiting for the heat that's bound to come. I feel so terribly cold, and I imagine Sasuke's intense heat that surrounded my body earlier today. I wish I had that heat. I wish I had Sasuke.

I close my eyes as the heat my body gave up finally is returned to me threefold. It's relaxing, and I finally close my eyes to the overwhelming darkness of the night, realizing how incredibly tired I feel all of a sudden. I relax my previously tense body, no longer needing to curl up so tightly to gain heat. Before I know it, I've fallen into a deep slumber.

I dream of empty darkness, nothing but the black that blinds me.

When I finally wake up, I feel too hot. Morning light shines in and disturbs my eyes, and I hastily turn away from the brightness intruding. I throw my covers off and welcome the cool air onto my hot body, moist with a thin sheet of sweat. I slept in my sweatpants last night, and I really wish I wouldn't have. I feel so grimy now.

I swing my feet over the edge of the bed as I prepare to get up. I wonder why Sasuke hasn't gotten me up yet? I guess it's a good thing. Maybe I'll have time to go to the river nearby and take a dip before he tries to assault me with what he calls "training". I scoot off of my bed and retrieve some fresh clothing that I can change into after my morning swim. With the clothes in hand, I exit my bedroom and make my way into the lounging area, expecting to have an unpleasant meeting with Karin, but am surprised to see nobody. Maybe they're in the training room? I check the training room, but nobody is in there. Puzzled, I decide to inquire Sasuke. I make my way to his room and knock on his door. Silence. I knock again, more anxiously. Silence. What's going on? Team hebi may have left without telling me, but not Sasuke. Sasuke would tell me before he... leaves...

Suddenly, it hits me. He is gone. He, and team hebi with him. I remember the events, but it feels so surreal. It doesn't seem like it actually took place, but that it was just something my mind had dreamt up. I open Sasuke's door and peer in to be sure. It's so... quiet. I take a few steps into his room, everything neat and tidy. I throw my clothes on his desk for the time being, walking over to the side of his bed. The air of his room... it's a foreign air, and I know this is a place I'm not supposed to be, but for some reason, I'm drawn in. I move closer to Sasuke's bed, examining but making sure not to touch. It's so neat, and it's hard to imagine Sasuke ever laid here, slept here, his guard totally down... Wait. Can he sleep with his guard up? It seems impossible, but it seems even less possible that Sasuke would ever let his guard down, anywhere, anytime. He is, after all, an extraordinary ninja. How could anyone ever get any rest that way, though?!

Forget it. I'm not even going to try to understand. Sasuke is too hard to understand. I'll only just end up confusing and frustrating myself.

I turn on my heel and grab my clothes, striding out of the room, closing the door behind me. I hate being so alone. I'll just go to the river and spend an immense amount of time there. Maybe that will help. I quickly make my way out of the hideout and off the stone ledge, using the trees to make my way to the riverside. After no time, I find the river, and I follow it up to the place I always go to. Rocks surround that particular area, and you either have to climb a tree and drop into the water to get past the boulders, or go downstream a bit and try to swim against the current. Of course, since I'm in the trees, I drop down into the water. I drop onto some of the rocks that are closer to the water level first to set down my spare clothing, and I remove my current clothes while I'm at it. Then, I surrender myself fully to the cool water.

The current at this particular part of the river, the current slows almost to a still, and I can fully relax my body. Well, I might be able to fully relax if the water wasn't so cold! It's not terribly cold, and most of my temporary misery is just the shock of the sudden rush of water on my skin. My body is covered with goosebumps as I lower my entire body into the water, getting used to the coolness. After the shock is gone, the coolness no longer has that bite to it, but instead is crisp and refreshing. I lower my head into the water and allow my body to float freely as I relax, my conscience seemingly fleeting. After so long, though, I have to preoccupy my mind with thoughts other than those of a fleeting consciousness.

My strange dream is the first thing that comes to mind. In my dream, the compound of my clan was near the hideout, when in reality it must have been a part of Konoha, probably on the outskirts of the village. One thing that's been really getting to me is my mental debate of whether what happened in my dream was actually how my clan died; the bonfire wasn't so much in question as the explosions that were more than likely destroying the compound. I mean, since my name that was revealed to me through that dream really was my name, then other countless things in that dream could have also been authentic.

For hours, I lounge in the river as I silently debate in my head. I want to believe it's all real, but I can never be sure. My hands and feet prune, and when I notice the sun has passed the midpoint in the sky, signifying it's well past noon, I decide it's time for me to leave. Since nobody can see me, I lie my naked body out on a smooth boulder to dry before clothing myself. As I dress myself, I suddenly hear a strange, unfamiliar voice.

"Well hello there!" I hear, and I whip my head towards where the voice came from. It came from above, and I look up to see a man in an orange mask and black cloak hanging- standing, rather- on a thick tree branch, upside down. I scream and hurry to cover my exposed body. "Woah, quite a sight that is. Just kidding! Who are you lady?"

"What? Who are YOU? And why were you watching me?!"

"What?! I'm not a perv! Anyways, lady, I'm Tobi. Now who are you?" Tobi. He's so strange. And that voice! His voice is a vast majority of why he seems so strange.

"Screw that," I say, comforted now that I am no longer exposed. My mind goes to the shuriken I brought with me, and I place my hands on my hips so I can easily reach into my holster for them. "Can I help you, Tobi?" Before he can answer, I fling three shuriken at him, and it would be impossible to miss him from this range. I'm about to flee the scene when a quick, hot shot of panic courses through my body as my attack misses. It missed! Impossible! And he hasn't moved an inch; in fact, the shuriken have gone right through him. Tobi begins blabbing about some nonsense as I stare at him, mortified. I try again, throwing kunai and shuriken at him, and even jumping up to get physical with him, but he continually winds his way around the branches, narrowly yet surely dodging all of my efforts, the whole time talking non-stop about me missing him and the such. Finally, I drop down back onto my original boulder and stare up at him, my ears surely bleeding by now from the stupidity constantly spewing from his mouth in overload. He keeps talking in third person! What the hell is wrong with this guy?! Who is he?

"Tired already, lady?" He asks, and I throw my hands out in frustration.

"Who the hell are you, man?" I suddenly throw the question out there, not even fully thinking it through, but needing to know who this is.

"I'm Tobi," he begins but I cut him off.

"Yeah, I know," I say, "you already told me. How did you dodge my attacks like that?"

"Tobi is-"

"Stop!" I suddenly shout. "Stop speaking in the third person!" It's silent for a while as I observe this man. What the hell is up with that mask? And that cloak... I hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now I see the red clouds swirling around the dark article. Those clouds seem vaguely familiar...

"Sorry lady," Tobi breaks the silence, "but Tobi has to go now." Suddenly, my revelation comes to me, and I know about the cloak.

"Hey, wait!" I call, and am appalled to see him slowly disappearing from my sight. "Wait! You're in the Akatsuki aren't you? That's the cloak!"

"Bye lady," he says, waving as his head is the last to disappear. What on earth have I encountered? This has to be the strangest encounter I've ever had with any creature alive.

"No, wait!" I shout. "Tell me if you're in the Akatsuki!" I jump onto the branch he was just standing on, but only in time to see the last of him disappear without a trace. Damn it. What was that? Why did he approach me? I huff in frustration at my confusion before hopping back down to get my old clothes, then escape my hideaway of boulders. I don't have a bag, and I don't want to go back to the empty hideout just yet, so I tie off the base of my shirt, stuffing my old sweats in through the neck, then tie the arms at the wrists and swing it around my shoulder, creating an effective bag. I make my way quickly to a tiny village nearby where I can get food.

There aren't many people when I get there, and that's why I like this village in particular; it's quiet and peaceful. I come across a small booth selling straw hats with wide rims for dirt cheap, so I decide to buy one. I strap it on and walk towards where I know the ramen will be. A guilty smile snakes onto my lips, and my stomach growls furiously as I fantasize about the hot, savory goodness of the golden, forbidden food. Yeah, only forbidden when Sasuke's around to put that torture into effect. I feel a stab of sorrow in my heart at the thought of my senpai, but my hunger overwhelms all other feelings.

Over the next seven days, I do exactly the same thing everyday; sleep in, skip breakfast, go to my hideaway, mostly in hopes of meeting again with a strange man in an orange mask and Akatsuki cloak, eat ramen for lunch, train in an open, grassy field by myself until dinner, then head back to the hideout for bed. All the while, I conflict myself inside with feelings similar to nostalgia while thinking of Sasuke, then anger simmering down those feelings, anger at myself for so openly allowing myself to become depressed. Oh, how I hate loneliness.

After the seventh day, something different happens. The day goes normally to the point where I fall asleep in my bed, but on this night, dreams of the past haunt me.

Fire. There was lots of fire. And screaming. I walked down the middle of my clan's compound and watched as fire mercilessly devoured houses and anything surrounding the houses. People were being slaughtered left and right, and those who'd caught fire were left to burn. Nobody noticed me; it's as though I was invisible. I see the people doing this. There are only four, and they all have one particular thing in common; the purple belts tied around their waists. I get a heavy sense of deja vu, and realize why they seem familiar; it's the same tie Sasuke adorns his own body with. These people are servants of the devil himself, Lord Orochimaru Sannin. So, Orochimaru was behind the massacre of my clan? Why? My question is answered immediately as one of those among the four murderers runs out of the building that held meetings for those most prominent within the clan, in the person's hand a small scroll. Words are exchanged shortly between the four who'd gathered, then they spread out and finish their job of wreaking havoc.

I continue walking forward, my face devoid of all emotion. Then, I see something different; a desperate escape attempt by a man, almost dragging behind him a little girl. They run together to the nearby forest, and the man, supposedly her dad, moves the little girl behind a tree. I will myself to be near the two, and my body is instantaneously brought to them, though I am made invisible to them, also. My heart pounds at what I see, and a lump forms in my throat, tears stinging my eyes. The little girl... it's me, and the man is my father. He commands me to stay behind the tree, then hugs the younger form of myself, telling me that he loves me, then cautiously walks off. Suddenly, he begins calling my name, as if searching for a loved one he lost, and I drop to my knees. He's drawing attention to himself on purpose, to protect me. I look away when he, too, is slaughtered, hot tears like acid running down my face and dripping off my chin. I then turn my attention to the little girl who is me. She cries and curls up on the ground behind the tree, obviously having already seen her father killed. And there I have it; the story of where I really came from.

I feel like I have seen all that I wanted to see, and I begin walking away from the scene when some movement catches my eyes. It's in the trees, above the location where my father had hidden me. I watch carefully, making sure to catch every detail. A figure drops out of the trees right next to the body of the crying girl. I move in closer as I feel this person is someone I know. It's a male, tall and lean, with jet black hair, spiked in the back... his bangs hanging loosely... No way, it can't really be Sasuke. Can it? It could be no one other than him. The younger version of me abruptly turns as this figure drops next to her from above. He turns in a way that I can see his profile, and my suspicions are confirmed; it's Sasuke.

I turn away from the scene to face my burning compound and find that all the fire has vanished, and it's not nighttime, but the sun burns sprightly in the sky. I'm somewhere in Konoha, and many people surround me, walking past me and bumping into me. From every angle I hear talk of the massacre of my very own clan, a little girl unaccounted for, and the death of Lord Orochimaru himself. Rumors of Sasuke, the traitor of the leaf, having killed Orochimaru also filter through, and all sorts of theories as to what could've happened to the little girl float around. As I begin slowly strolling through, my arm is taken roughly in someone else's, and I yelp as I almost fall back. I look to see who my captor is, but I can only make out a large straw hat on what appears to be a male. As I question who the person is and remove the hat, long black hair is let down, and a face like a snake turns to me. It's Orochimaru! I struggle to free myself, but find that my arm is securely held by a rather large snake, and snakes begin slithering up my legs, around my body and squeezing so tight I can hardly breathe. I try to call out for help, but no sound comes out as a snake winds itself around my neck.

My eyes snap open as bright light intrudes and blinds me, and I realize that I woke myself up with a scream. My breathing is heavy, and my body is coated heavily with my perspiration. I move about and find that my sheets somehow tangled themselves around my throat, and I yank free from my bindings, jumping out of bed. My sheets have been soiled with my sweat, so I remove them, throwing them all in a lump on the floor. Afterwards, I remove my t-shirt I spelt in, and am left in only my underwear. I sit on my bare mattress and lie on my back, contemplating over the dream.

If it's true, if it's really what happened, what was Sasuke doing there? I'll just have to ask him when he gets back. I lie silently on my back, staring up at the ceiling for a few minutes, allowing my mind to wander about. Then, I remember my father. Did he really do that? Just so that he could protect me? A lump in my throat makes it hurt to breathe, and hot tears blur my vision. For a second, I convince myself that it's okay for me to cry, but then I remember that I don't really want to cry. So I swallow the lump that's choking me, and I blink back my tears, only one escaping and running cold down the side of my face. I catch it and decide that I should get going. Since I'm already sweaty, I might as well go on a run or something. I throw on the shirt I slept in and some shorts, then pick out a fresh t-shirt and pants before I depart from the hideout.

I run back and forth from my hideaway in the river to the hideout three times before I stop and bathe in the cool water of the river. After bathing and changing, (and still seeing no signs of Tobi) I do my usual thing, following my daily routine. As I sit eating my ramen, I can't help thinking all about my dream from last night. I hardly even focus on the meal set before me; my mind is somewhere else. I stare blankly at the counter in front of me when a vague movement catches my eye. It came from my bowl of ramen. My eyes quickly dart towards the bowl, and I watch it carefully. All seems normal until... Something else moved in my bowl! I saw it! But, I'm not able to see exactly what moved. As I look closer, the noodles begin to wind and swirl within the bowl. I lean in, appalled at this. How could the noodles move by themselves? Wait, these aren't noodles... Suddenly, I can see the details, and there are heads to the noodles. I quietly observe them, my mind all over the place. These are... snakes! There are snakes in my bowl!

As I make this revelation, it slips my mind that I'm in public, and, without thinking, I push away from the counter as soon as I see snakes, then exclaim as my stool falls backwards, me going down with it. I hit my back on the ground and groan in pain. The owner of the booth rushes over, surprised, and helps me up. Luckily, there aren't many people to witness my nonsense. Even with only the ramen guy and maybe a pedestrian or two, my cheeks are burning in embarrassment. I pick up my stool and slowly continue eating, but I feel sick to my stomach. With every bite I take, the snakes that I had hallucinated keep reappearing in my mind. As I'm about to take another small bite, I can't handle it anymore; I feel it all coming back up. I rush to a trash bin just in time. After my stomach has been cleared of all in it, my body is wracked with agonizing dry heaves, and tears force themselves out of my eyes.

I eventually am able to force myself to stop heaving, and I kneel over the bin for just a while longer as I cough and gather my strength. After wiping the moisture from my eyes, I walk back to my seat and grab a few napkins to wipe around my mouth. I notice how badly my body is trembling, and I decide it's time to take this back to the hideout. The owner of the booth comes over to me to see if I'm okay, and I tell him I am before asking for a bowl with a lid to take with me. He grants my request, and out of pity, he gives me another serving of noodles for free. I thank him, then pull my straw that over my head as I walk away.

I finally arrive at the hideout after what seems to have been hours, and all senses of alertness and of being on guard are down to pathetic levels. I stumble into the lounging area and nearly trip and fall flat on my face when I belatedly notice two men on the couch, both large, but one significantly bigger than the other. I stare at them as they get up from their seats and turn to face me, and I notice that they both are wearing cloaks identical to Tobi's. Right then, my blood turns cold. These men must be in the Akatsuki, and if they're here, it can't be anything good. The larger one is carrying a weapon as big as himself that seems to be wrapped in bandage, and his skin is a sickly shade of blue, his hair slightly darker than his skin. He has this sinister looking half smile on his face, like he's looking down on me, and I feel even more pathetic than I did before. I ought to have been on guard, I know, I know, you don't need to remind me strange man. The other man has vibrant red hair and purple in his eyes. Those eyes... oh great, he has the rinnegan. Well, I'm screwed. He has these black piercings all over his face and in his ears, only adding to his fearsome appearance. I almost dig myself into an inescapable hole when I look closely at the man with the rinnegan and nearly burst out laughing at how he wears an expression almost identical to Sasuke's.

"Huh, hard to believe Sasuke took this one in," the blue one says nonchalantly, never removing his eyes from me. "You would've at least expected her to be on guard. What's that she's holding? Ramen?" He begins laughing, and he seems to even be in a state of incredulity. "This one can't be Sasuke's. There's no way. She's pathetic!" That's when I've had enough. I calmly set down my ramen on the floor and set my soiled clothes next to it. I then face the blue man, and although I'm not at my strongest, I still have some good fight in me. I brace myself to attack, and both men seem to take notice. The trash talker opens his mouth again to say something else, but before any words can leave his lips, I charge at him. I'm best in close combat, and most ninjutsu I use is for short range, anyways. I leap at the larger man, but the other tries to interfere.

"This isn't what we came here for," the man bearing the rinnegan says, and he reaches out to stop my attack. I didn't plan on him interfering, and since they're so close and I'm moving so quickly, I won't be able to stop myself before the red haired one does. His arm is extended in front of me, but it shouldn't be a problem in the slightest. I simply go around his arm and proceed to attack the blue one. We both spar for a couple of seconds before I become enraged at the smug smile on this guy's face and decide to get serious. I perform a couple of quick hand seals and bear the product of my efforts in my hand; a fire type ninjutsu, about the size of a softball in the palm of my hand with a dangerous blast, and chances of it being lethal are very high. It's simply a handheld bomb, an easy jutsu to execute, yet still highly effective. The best part is it doesn't backfire on the user. I'm about to land it on this jerk when he slashes through the air with his oversized weapon. He totally missed me, and it completely baffles me because he intended to miss me. Suddenly, the product of my work disappears from my hand, and a terrible feeling invades my body, so terrible that I willingly retreat temporarily from this man. I feel... so weak.

"Heh, you can't dodge this," the blue man says, patting his weapon like his pet. "It eats chakra. There's no use in trying anymore." So, that's his trick. He better be prepared for the next time we meet, because I won't make the same mistake again. Still, a sword that eats chakra? That's insane! In fact... I know who this jerk is.

"Ah, so you're Kisame, eh?" I say, then chuckle. "I've heard of you; one of the great seven swordsmen." Kisame smirks down at me before his partner speaks up again.

"Kisame," he says, "we've fulfilled our purpose here. Let's go." He then begins to head for the exit.

"Wait!" I call out, now completely confused. "Your purpose? What were you doing here?" The red haired man simply keeps walking, ignoring me, but Kisame turns to me once more.

"Tell Sasuke we said hi," he says mockingly before continuing on his way out after his partner. As their backs are turned, I give them two birdies, one for each of them to shove up their ass and twist. I mumble explicits to myself as they disappear from my sight, my mood now completely gone south. Besides that, I'm completely worn out. Nearly all my chakra is gone, and I was already feeling horrible from before. I'm so done. I'll just sleep away today, and after tomorrow is here, today will be gone forever. I guess I should just eat the rest of my ramen while I'm at it. It'll be no good once the noodles are soggy. So I reheat my lunch and finish it up before retreating to my own room. I crawl onto my bare mattress, and before I can even debate in my mind whether or not I should go to sleep while the sun is still up, the darkness has already swallowed me up.

By the time I awaken, my entire body is sore as if I've had an intense workout, and the light filtering in is too dim to be able to see clearly in it. I sit up slowly, feeling so sluggish and my head spinning. I slept for about three hours, I'm guessing. I cross my legs and allow meaningless thoughts to dominate my mind until my brain restarts and common sense begins to kick in. Okay, my mattress is bare, my linen plundered, the natural light dim. There are no surrounding noises, meaning team hebi isn't back yet. Memories of earlier this afternoon begin to replay in my mind one by one, and I groan inwardly, since I'm too tired to groan outwardly. My whole demeanor has suddenly had acid poured all over it, and I begin thinking of all the ways I could execute my revenge on the royally stupid jerk of a swordsman. In my mind, I kill my precious Kisame at least thirty-seven times. I think Sasuke would be proud.

One thing that's really bothering me is how absolutely filthy I feel. I'm not up to getting up just yet, so I sit a while longer in the dark on my bare mattress, thinking. Soon, I've put myself into my own misery. As I was thinking about different ways to kill Kisame, I remembered his words, telling me to say hi to Sasuke for them. How long has it been? Seven, eight days? Whether it's eight days or eight months, it doesn't matter; any time I'm away from Sasuke while in a state of oblivion as to his well-being is too long, and it's hell. I've become so lonely and anxious. I was never meant to be alone. I've even become so desperate to the point of choosing Karin over being alone. Then, I mentally Sparta kick myself. Calm down, Rei. It's been less than two weeks.

Even so, I would kill to see Sasuke right about now. I need him back. This isn't good for me. I miss him so much, even if he's a mean bastard a lot of the time. I've seen a totally different side of him, and now I can't let go. Even though I almost throw up at how love sick I am, I'd be lying if I said Sasuke is less than everything to me.

Okay, now. Maybe it's alright for me to cry for just a little bit. This is something worth crying over. I shall cry because I have become one of those stupid, shallow, love sick romatics I always said I'd never be. I don't cry, though. I do laugh some at how crazy I seem to myself, speaking to myself within myself. I have at least three different voices debating in my head right now, not including my own. Maybe I've reached a new low.

As these thoughts run through my mind, I decide to to something outwardly as well. I shall shower, then go back to sleeping like the sloth I am. I get up and walk towards the door of my room. As I exit, I decide that I want to go in Sasuke's room again for no apparent reason. He's not here, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him. I shuffle into his room, smelling the strange aroma of this place. I drink in my surroundings, all Sasuke's belongings, where he sleeps and dresses. As my mind wanders, I begin to think... what soap does Sasuke use? And starting with that simple question, I soon find myself rummaging through his stuff. I make sure to put it all back, of course, but I must be out of my mind to even be in his room.

I find my prize after a short time; Sasuke's body wash. I open it and smell it, out of simple curiosity, because that's the kind of creep I am. I inhale deeply the rich scent Sasuke drenches his entire body with everyday, and I find myself wanting to also cover my body with this aroma. Mmmm... it does smell just like Sasuke, and although I'm sure that it's an ordinary, commonly bought body wash, its aroma still seems to be Sasuke's own, unique to him, and it's that thought that makes me take the bottle with me.

I examine the container as I walk, and I notice that it's the exact same as my own body wash. What? No way Sasuke and I use the exact same body wash. They don't even smell the same. Do they? I don't know, my imagination may simply be going into overdrive at the fact that this belongs to Sasuke. Still, I'm pretty sure my body wash doesn't smell like this, despite the identical containers. Oh well. The world may never know.

I take my time in the shower, relaxing under the steamy spray of water, savoring the feeling and smell of Sasuke's soap, and half of the shower I spend fantasizing about Sasuke. Since it's his body wash I'm using, I can't help but fill my mind with thoughts of him, how he'd lather himself and rub the soap on his own body, and even more than that is the thought of him being here with me, lathering the soap on my body himself, and what his hands might feel like on my body. God, he would be a sight to behold... I find myself wanting this, having a strong desire to have the simple products of my imagination be fulfilled, and there's this hotness that settles in my abdomen, tightening it. It's a foreign feeling, but... I like it... I notice that it gets more intense when my hands pass over my chest and lower regions as I wash. Could this be love I'm feeling? Just kidding, it can't be love; rather, I think this is lust.

I finish my shower with my hands and feet pruning, and I walk back to my own room to throw on some clothes. I lie on my bare mattress for a while in only my underwear and a black tank top. I have no desire to put on anything else. I contemplate over what I think was the lust I was feeling. That heat in my abdomen... and the way it grew tighter, hotter, more intense when I touched areas I wouldn't want anyone else touching- well, anyone besides Sasuke maybe... I've never felt like that before, and I'm considering that it may just be because I'm feeling so out of it tonight.

I stay on my mattress, staring up at the ceiling and thinking for a while before I decide I want to go to sleep. Well, I guess I ought to return Sasuke's body wash back to his belongings. I get up and head to Sasuke's room, taking the body wash with me. I return the soap where I found it, then close the drawer it was in. This is the third time I've been in his room, and I'm beginning to really like it in here. I sit in a vacant chair and take everything in for a second time. Then, my eyes fall on his bed, linen still neatly fitted to the mattress without a wrinkle or fold in sight. I remember my own bed, along with my soiled linen, and tire myself out thinking about how I'll have to replace the sheets. I'm really not up for it, and half if the reason why is because I simply don't want to leave Sasuke's room. I stare at his bed, then imagine how soft his mattress might be, and how fresh and clean the sheets might feel, because they surely look brand new.

Screw it, I'm sleeping in his bed. It's only for one night, and I know he'd never let me sleep on his room, let alone his bed, but what are the chances he will return on the night I sleep in his bed? He did say it might even be a month before he returns, anyways. It's decided; tonight, I shall sleep in Sasuke's bed, then tomorrow I'll clean the linen and put it back the way it was on his mattress. Hm... I wonder how insanely weird I would look if this were all caught on camera. I smile to myself as I picture it, and it would indeed look strange. But, luckily for me, it's not being taped.

I walk over to his bed and stand beside it, still subconsciously debating on whether or not I really should do this. Well, I mean of course I shouldn't do this. I guess I'm debating on if it's worth it, to risk getting caught. Yeah. It's totally worth it, especially considering I don't have the energy to get new sheets for my own bed. With a leap of faith and courage, I pull back the sheets of Sasuke's bed. I know I'm alone, but I feel as if Sasuke is just in the other room and might pop in on me at any moment. I reluctantly crawl onto his bed and pull the covers around me, rolling into my side. Gosh, it's so comfortable. I now know that every time I walk into Sasuke's room when he calls me in, or even every time I see Sasuke, for that matter, I'll relive this moment, and I will be full of shameful amusement.

Still so, I soon forget my shame as tiredness, darkness and fatigue begin to take over. I bury my face in his pillow and inhale deeply. Yes, Sasuke's pillow definitely carries his scent. I almost doubted it because of how fresh and unused the sheets seem to be. I drink in his scent once more in satisfaction. I can't have Sasuke right now, but this isn't so bad a compromise. I'd rather be smelling his aroma than looking at a picture of him, because smell seems to be so much more... authentic, reassuring. It's different. I close my eyes as I fall into a blissful slumber.

"Sleep good?" I'm awoken by none other than Sasuke's voice. My eyes flutter open to a soft, white light pouring into the room, and everything seems fuzzy, although I feel amazing.

"Yeah," I answer before sighing heavily, stretching a bit. Wow, I've never felt so refreshed while waking up. "I had the best sleep last night," I continue as my eyes search for Sasuke, my head hazy. "I feel amazing." I didn't notice Sasuke sitting right next to me, and somewhere in my brain it registers that he's back from his mission. My eyes snap open in delightful surprise, and I sit up immediately. "Oh! Welcome back, Senpai," I say, still trying to clear my head. Why do I feel like I'm somewhere different? As I look around, I notice that this is Sasuke's room, and it registers that I've slept in his bed and used his body wash, and he's sitting right next to me with full knowledge of probably both. I feel my face turn hot as blood rushes to my cheeks in embarrassment.

"No need to become flustered, Rei," Sasuke says, and the sarcasm in his voice is like acid. "You only slept in my bed. You used my soap, too, didn't you?" I hang my head and quickly nod, not looking at him. He remains silent, and the silence dominates for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, Senpai!" I begin, too flustered and embarrassed to do or say anything else. "Forgive me! Please excuse my carelessness!" Sasuke then scoffs.

"Your carelessness?"

"No! Please! Forgive me!"

"Just get out of my bed." I follow his orders and step off on the side of the bed opposite to the side he's on when I remember I'm not wearing any pants. Could the situation get any worse? "You're not wearing pants?" Sasuke inquires, more of a statement than a question.

"Uh... no," I reply, my face growing bright red. I begin to walk away to my own room to get fully dressed when Sasuke stops me.

"Just put these on for now," he says, stopping me in my tracks and tossing me a pair of his pants. First his soap, then his bed, and now his pants... I must be dreaming. They're big, but I make due. "I need to talk to you." I suddenly remember my encounter with a certain swordsman and member of the Akatsuki from yesterday.

"Oh, actually I have to talk to you, too," I say. "A couple Akatsuki members visited yesterday. Kisame says hi."

"What did they want?" Sasuke asks, his expression unchanging, and I'm reminded of the red haired man with the rinnegan.

"I don't know," I say. "They didn't do anything in certain to give away their purpose for coming, and I even asked, but I have no idea."

"You asked?" Sasuke once again states more than asks. "Never mind. What happened?"

"Kisame and I kind of fought."

"And?"

"Well... he beat me." Sasuke looks at me with a look that says I've done something ridiculous.

"And how did that happen?"

"Well... he used that sword he has."

"Didn't you know he was going to use it?"

"I only figured out it was Kisame after the fact, and that's the reason I knew it was him, anyways!" I throw my hands up in frustration and Sasuke puts his hand to his face in irritation, sliding his hand back to run his fingers through his hair.

"Who was the other Akatsuki members with Kisame?"

"I don't know his name," I say, "but he had the rinnegan and bright red hair. Kisame seemed to follow him."

"Okay," Sasuke says, "what else happened other than you and Kisame fighting?"

"Nothing," I explain. "They were here when I came back from being out, and after Kisame insulted me, we sparred. After that, the one with rinnegan said they'd fulfilled their purpose and just left. Before they went, Kisame even had the nerve to turn around and tell me to tell you they said hi." My blood boils at the thought of the blue trash spitter. I could just bash his face in...

"Hn, no wonder you lost," Sasuke says blandly. "You were fighting out of anger. Careless." I glare at Sasuke, but, as always, his expression is unchanging. "Anyways, did anything else happen while I was gone?"

"Not really," I say, "except I met another Akatsuki members, about a week ago. He said his name was Tobi, and the imbecile kept speaking in the third person. It was so weird; I attacked, and there was no chance my attack would miss, but it just went literally straight through him! He began dodging all my attacks, all the while egging me on by teasing about how I'd missed. The weirdest thing was this orange mask he wore, and his voice. I swear, my ears were bleeding by the time he'd left. When he did leave, though, he just kind of disappeared. Like he melted into the tree, and I couldn't sense his presence anywhere near there; he disappeared without a trace."

"Hn, Tobi's like that," Sasuke says, the ghost of a smile on his face. "He's a master of escape. That's about all he can do, really: talk in the third person and dodge all your attacks, no matter how precise they are."

"He really pissed me off," I say, thinking aloud more than conversing. "You know, I went to the same place every single day after that in hopes of meeting him again. He never was there, of course. He's really irritating, but I want to find out more about him."

"Stop trying," Sasuke says. "It'll never happen. Anyways, is that everything?" I frown at how negative his response was, but continue.

"There's one more thing," I say. "You remember my dream I had before you left? I had another, and I wanted to confirm with you, see if what I dreamt was really what happened." I wait for Sasuke to approve or something, and he simply nods, so I continue. "Was my clan killed by servants of Orochimaru?"

"Yes," Sasuke replies, apparently reluctant to answer.

"Okay," I say. "Why did they attack? One stole a scroll, but I'm not sure what was in the scroll."

"Secret jutsu Orochimaru wanted," Sasuke answers blandly, and I almost stop right there. Why is he being like this?

"I'm... okay," I continue. "So... I saw you arrive, but it was while they were in the midst of wreaking havoc. You didn't meet with them; that was when you saw me. I didn't see what happened after you approached me, but I want to know why you were there."

"At that time I was with Orochimaru," he explains, "and he sent me there. That's when I saw you, yes. I took you in, and about a year or so later killed Orochimaru because of his plans for me. He was also making plans for you."

"He let you take me in?" I inquire incredulously.

"He didn't care, as long as I looked after you," Sasuke explains. "As far as he was concerned, you were a burden, and you actually were back then."

"Yeah, but not so much anymore," I say with a smirk on my face. "Wouldn't you say, Senpai?" Sasuke simply gives his signature Uchiha smirk, and I frown. "Anyhow, now that I know Orochimaru had plans for me, my dream makes more sense. It jumped to the future, and everyone was talking about the death of Orochimaru, the death of my clan, and how I'd gone missing. Then, Orochimaru came, but he was disguised. He began hauling me through the crowd, and when I pulled off his disguise..." I let the sentence trail off as I remember my dream. Just thinking about Orochimaru is enough to make me shudder. "Anyways," I say, "that's all."

"Alright," Sasuke says. "Now, there are a few things. First of all, we are no longer team hebi; we're team taka from this point forward. Secondly, things went a little unexpected with the mission. Itachi is dead, but I met Danzo along the way. He's dead also. Later today, I'm having Karin operate on you; I'm giving you the sharingan." I'm sure I must've heard Sasuke wrong. The sharingan? Give me? My ears must be deceiving me. But, I shall let him continue, and I'll just ask about it later, I guess. "Lastly, I've decided; you're going back to Konoha."

(A/N *YES another one*: Told you it gets pretty weird. I'm like hopelessly in love with Sasuke, soo... See how I incorporated Tobi? Ha, yeah... *clears throat* anyhow. Spoiler: I'm probably going to do a chapter based on the relationship between Karin and Rei next. I don't know. My sister suggested it a while back. Also, things begin to really stray from the anime beginning here. Hope you don't mind *gets shot*;-; Yeah... Things will probably get crazy, and if something is kind of really inaccurate according to the anime, you're just going to have to deal with it because it's meant to be that way. Some things will happen that may seem impossible, but fear not... They probably are as impossible as they seem. At least you'll know you're still in right mind and the world isn't totally twisted. Hum... one more thing, Sasuke is bound to begin to lose his Uchihaness. It's probably for the best. And one more other thing; I'm probably going to change the rating soon. Depending on where I'd like the story to go, things may get intense. But then they also may not. We'll see. Sorry for any typos, and thanks for reading! Yay for long a/n =3=))


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